The Zambian government attempted to expel Clarke, a columnist for the independent
daily The Post, and ordered him to leave the country within 24 hours.
Home Affairs Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha announced the deportation order
on state television, though Clarke said he was never formally served with
the order. Clarke went into hiding immediately after the announcement to
avoid arrest.

The deportation order stemmed from a column written for The Post‘s
January 1 edition by Clarke, a British citizen who has permanent residence
in Zambia and has lived there for more than 30 years. In an apparent riff
on George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, Clarke depicted the Zambian
leadership as animals in a game park. In a thinly veiled reference to President
Levy Mwanawasa, Clarke described the one in charge of the park as an elephant
named "Muwelewele," or "fool" in the local Nyanja dialect. Other government
members were described as baboons, a giraffe, a crocodile, and a snake.

Home Affairs Minister Shikapwasha said Clarke had insulted the president
and the Zambian people in his column. Authorities issued an arrest warrant
and launched a manhunt for the journalist.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Lusaka High Court granted a stay against
the deportation order pending an appeal in response to a petition from Post
lawyer Patrick Matibini. Shikapwasha said, however, that the state would
not recognize the High Court order because Clarke’s permanent residence
had been revoked.

The High Court upheld Clarke’s status as a permanent resident on January
13, and the journalist came out of hiding the following day.

On April 26, the Lusaka High Court annulled the deportation order against
Clarke. Judge Philip Musonda was quoted by the BBC as saying that the deportation
order was unconstitutional and "unreasonable."

The Zambian media reported that President Mwanawasa is challenging the High
Court ruling in the Supreme Court. According to the state-owned Times
of Zambia,the Attorney General’s Office filed a notice of appeal
with the Supreme Court on April 28.

JANUARY 28, 2004Posted: February 6, 2004

Mackson Wasamunu, Zambia Daily MailATTACKED, HARASSED

Police officers assaulted and detained Wasamunu, a photojournalist working
for the state-owned Zambia Daily Mail, while he was covering a police
operation to clear hawkers from the streets of the capital, Lusaka.

Several officers approached Wasamunu, who was carrying two cameras and a
small portable radio, and accused him of taking pictures of them. Although
Wasamunu showed the officers his press card, they demanded that he hand
over his cameras and film. After the journalist refused, the officers began
beating him. One officer used a small club, injuring Wasamunu’s stomach
and back. During the struggle, both of the journalist’s cameras fell to
the ground and were damaged, Wasamunu said.

The police took Wasamunu to a nearby police station, and then to the Lusaka
Central Police Station, where they detained him in a holding cell. There,
other detainees assaulted the journalist in an attempt to rob him, Wasamunu
told CPJ.

According to Wasamunu, he was released without charge after six hours in
detention following the intervention of the Lusaka Division Police commanding
officer, who apologized for the journalist’s treatment. Wasamunu received
medical attention after his release and has filed a formal complaint with
the Inspector General of Police.
DECEMBER 20, 2004Posted: January 18, 2005

Kangwa Mulenga, Radio Phoenix
Mutuna Chanda, Radio Q-FM
Brighton Phiri, The Post
Eddie Mwanaleza, The Times of Zambia
ATTACKED, HARASSED

Police assaulted and detained for several hours four journalists who were
covering a demonstration in the capital, Lusaka, to demand a new constitution.
The journalists were charged with "conduct likely to lead to breach of the
peace," but the charges were later dropped, according to the Media Institute
for Southern Africa (MISA) and local sources.

Mulenga, of privately-owned Radio Phoenix; Chanda, of the community radio
station Radio Q-FM; Phiri, of the private daily The Post,and
Mwanaleza, of the government-owned Times of Zambia, were beaten and
arrested when they attempted to report on the arrest of demonstrators, according
to MISA. Dozens of participants in the protest, which had not been authorized
by authorities, were detained by police, Reuters reported.

Mulenga received a deep cut below his right eye, according to CPJ sources.
Notebooks and cameras belonging to the journalists were also confiscated.